Crop not clearing. What now?

[chicks4life]

I have a buff orphington about 3 months old that eats chick starter in crumbles. She also gets to free range and we have chick grit available as well. The problem occurred approx one week ago when she gorged herself on a treat of scratch grains I sprinkled in her pen. I can now feel what I believe is cracked corn in her crop. Her crop is not any larger than a walnut but I cannot get it to shrink. it is not hard or firm. It feels more like a balloon with small pebbles (corn) and some fluids. I have tried olive oil with a dropper with no success. She has been on a probiotic liquid diet for 36hrs. Her breath is not putrid so I do not believe she has sour crop. I have tried flushing her crop but I cannot get the corn out without severely stressing my chicken. When will the corn pass into the digestive tract? should I forcefeed her more grit? I know she is digesting some food because I fed her a rather large mealworm and I could not feel that in her crop. What should I do now? I would prefer not to take her to the vet unless necessary. Thanks in advance to all who respond.

 

[fordmommy]

It doesn't sound like a problem. I don't think that walnut size is too big, myself. My chickens' crops feel like that too some times. And I had one with sour crop a few weeks back. It was the size of a baseball. I think you might be feeling grit in the crop not cracked corn. You said she free ranges. She can find that on her own.

If you think you may still have a problem, I suggest you stop the cracked corn and free ranging for a few days, and watch how the crop responds.

Has she vomited? What's her poop like?

Did you also try ACV in the water and yogart? That helps clear things too. (1-2 Tbsp. Organic apple cider vinegar to 1 gallon of water. And about a Tbsp of plain yogart for her to eat daily for a week.)

Keep us updated on the progress. Good luck.


P.s.

 

[chicks4life]

I am giving her ACV, and I am also giving her electrolytes along with her probiotic mash which has yogurt in it. It has been a little over 36 hours and her crop still feels like a soft walnut sized balloon filled with pebbles. It is not clearing as I thought is should. Shouldn't these bits be able to pass into her digestion system. Her crop is not hard nor is it claylike so I don't think she has a mass of grass in there. She is losing weight as her keel bone is sicking out. I know grit and small pebbles are used to process food in the gizzard not the crop so I am perplexed. her poop is watery from all the liquid and she has not vomited.

 

[fordmommy]

This is my post from a couple weeks ago about the sour crop. There is a lot of good info in there. Maybe some of it will work for you. My pullet didn't have that stinky breathe/mouth that they talk about either. But her crop was the size of a baseball. I new something was wrong. After I made her puke things up, I found a couple pieces of like straw or something. It was yellowy and was not digesting.

I'm pretty new to chickens. I had never heard of such a thing. But let me tell you, making her puke was what saved my "Honey's" life. I felt horrable doing it. But I'm glad I did. And now she's happy-go-lucky and will be laying soon. Her comb is almost fully in and I caught her squatting yesterday.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=219897

I'm not saying this is what's wrong with your chicken but maybe the info will help.